“ The monarch used to have absolute powers until the disappearance of King Henry V. A 'temporary' replacement was put on the throne to hold it until King Henry returned, and he would have only one vote on the governing council of nobles and no other powers except persuasion. More then 50 years have passed since then and everyone knows King Henry is almost certainly dead-but the nobles don't want to go back under the rule of an absolute monarch, so the kingship is only 'temporary' until King Henry V returns to take back his throne.”
“ Nearby is a region of many curiously shaped hillocks. Last week a tremendous storm washed one of these half away, revealing a strange shed made of concrete panels. Its long side is aligned east-west, about 4m by 3m and 2.5m high, with a flat roof slightly sloped down to the north . The double doors in the south side have murky glass panels in them, but nothing much can be seen from outside, although it looks a bit like the top of a staircase. Will you dare go inside? What will you find there, and what lies below?”
“ (Apologies to GRRM and HBO)
A group of northerners want to bring the Old Gods back to the south. They grow cuttings from the white trees seeking the blessings of the Old Gods on the project, and when the saplings are big enough, they carve faces in them and secretly plant them in forests all over the south, to extend the 'reach' of the Old Gods.
The plan works of course, but the trees are *baby gods*, and behave as such when invoked.”